JANUARY 2026

NOTE FROM MARK
Happy New Year! What a year 2025 was and now we are off to a running start in 2026. Have you ever heard of the one-degree rule in aviation? That one degree off-course can result in missing a destination by 92 feet for every mile flown, one mile for every 60 flown.  A flight from NYC to Los Angeles could end up 40–50 miles off-course. One degree can make such a difference over time. A simple change of a calendar does not necessarily change anything in our lives, except resetting the deductible on insurance. But a new year, if desired, can give us time to reset, even one degree, our rhythms of life. To look at our relationship with God, with our friends and family, how we are doing at work, our health (spiritually, emotionally, physically), our finances and friendships. The new year can be a time to reset and make small adjustments that over time can lead to significant differences in our lives. My prayer for you is that you would make small changes that have the potential to lead to a significant difference in your life over time. 

MINISTRIES

NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS
Leader: Karin Sauder, [email protected]
A safe place for children to meet Jesus, know Jesus & learn to share Jesus.

Welcome to a new year! Neighborhood Kids continued their journey through the Bible with the Gospel Project, studying the life of David this month. We even managed to stay on our time line during a snow day by having a Neighborhood Kids lesson online. Great job everyone! Also, a BIG congratulations to David and Amy Szabo who welcomed a baby girl, Sarah Anne, to their family this month. She joins big brothers DJ and Doug. Hurray for our newest Neighborhood Kid!

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NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH
Leader: Eric Peacock, [email protected]
A place where teens belong, believe (in Jesus) and become (all that God has intended for them to be).

For January, Neighborhood Youth started 2026 off with a new series on, Going Viral. We talked about influence - what spreads, what sticks, and what shapes their lives. We included the movie, "A Case for Christ" and from it, extracted principles regarding Going Viral and things that stood out to the students individually.


WORSHIP & PRODUCTION TEAM
Leader: Mel Neely, [email protected]
We are a diverse community of followers of Jesus Christ, empowered by His Spirit with one heart and one mind to invite and lead in declaring His worth.

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 

We kicked off January with our ReNEWal weekend at Neighborhood Church! The Worship and Production team dedicated January 8 to 11 to preparing for the event and leading worship. We introduced the song, “Rest on Us” as a theme as we invited the Spirit of God to speak to us.

https://youtu.be/R8MZbl-GRdY?si=KbJoMC23Mqi_PVi6

The Neighborhood Church Worship & Production team also continues to lift high the name of Jesus through our in person and online services. This January Mel Neely and Adaora led worship during our Sunday services along with our dedicated team of instrumentalists and vocalists. On Saturday, January 24 the team recorded a worship set for the service we streamed for the snow storm that took place on Sunday, January 25. Thank you to Tim Allen for handling all the recording!

On Thursday evenings the team engaged with devotionals encouraging each other to look full on the wonderful face of Jesus by incorporating devotional times led by Eric and Mel. We used the 40 Days of Prayer devotionals and sermon as a guide for our discussions. We shared praises and prayer requests, praying for each other and over Neighborhood Church.

Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD ! Praise the LORD !
Psalm 150: 4-6

We are thankful to have a truly multigenerational team with middle school, high school and adult volunteers working together to make our Sunday services in person and online possible. We are grateful for Landon Neely’s willingness to jump in on sound and live stream during his winter break from college. We are praying for God to bring more workers to serve Him at Neighborhood Church!

BECAUSE of God’s faithfulness, our Worship & Production Team is living on mission as a multi- ethnic, multigenerational team being transformed by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit and inviting the Neighborhood Church family to be launched on mission with them!


NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS
Leader: Pam Homan, Matt Sale & Mark Trinkl, [email protected]
A place for making friends, inviting God's transformation through Scripture and prayer, and being launched on mission together.  

The winter session for Neighborhood Groups is underway. In the January-March timeframe we have six groups meeting and studying a variety of topics to include books from the Old and New Testaments topical studies specifically on Psalm 23 and another one on "An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility". Both in person and on-line options are available. It's not too late to sign up for a Neighborhood Group. The menu of options and to sign up can be found here: https://www.neighborhoodc.org/groups.html

Neighborhood Groups are the primary venue for making friends, inviting God's transformation through Scripture and prayer, and living on mission together to make a difference in the world. It's a great way to be connected and support one other in our life's journeys!


MISSIONS TEAM
Leader: Natalie, [email protected]
To see the people of Neighborhood Church launched on mission to share and show Jesus from our neighbors to the nations. (Acts 1:8)

-Started promoting El Salvador and had an online interest meeting!
-Continuing to invest in our local and global partners!
-Preparing for Global Encounters!

If you would like to be a part of the team, reach out to Natalie. Our hope and prayer is that all of Neighborhood Church would pray, give, go, send.


WELCOME TEAM
Leader:  Contact Rose Ojwiga, [email protected]
We will be a community that is authentic, transparent & creates space for real relationships (Acts 2:42)

All went well with the Welcome Team. We received 9 visitors at church and that is a big number for the church. Six still came back. Pray that they will continue to attend and also become members.

LEADERSHIP

STAFF
Mark Trinkl, Tim Allen, Linnea Allen, Melanie Neely, Karin Sauder,  Devin Calhoun, Natalie & Dana Zetterberg, Eric Peacock.
Leader: Mark Trinkl, [email protected]
The staff manages Neighborhood Church’s ministry teams. 

Thank you again to the church for the staff appreciation gifts! It is a joy to serve at Neighborhood Church. The staff is continuing to meet on a regular basis to talk about goals, ministry, care, and how to best position the church to see many lives transformed, empowered, and launched. Please be praying with us. And if you sense God moving you towards serving in a ministry, check out this link: https://www.neighborhoodc.org/volunteer.html


ELDERS
Mark Trinkl,, Mark Neely, Solomon Jack, Eric Peacock,, Tedd Mueller, Eric Zetterberg, Kyle Ott, Tim Allen
Leader: Mark Trinkl, [email protected]
The Elders shepherd and give spiritual oversight to Neighborhood Church.

Thank you to Steve Bearadsley and Jeff Geraci for their faithful service. As their term comes to an end, we pray that God will bless them in this new season.  Welcome to Tim Allen as a new Elder for a three year term.  We are so grateful to be able to shepherd this congregation. If there is anything you ever need prayer for, please let us know. We are here to support you.


BOARD OF GOVERNANCE (BOG)
Mark Trinkl (Chair),Solomon Jack (Vice Chair), Matt Sale (Treasurer), Sarah Luse (Secretary), Pam Homan, Mark Neely, Kyle Ott
The Board of Governance (BOG) sets boundaries for the Pastor.

Thank you to Jeff Geraci and Angela Drumm for your faithful service to the church and serving on the BOG. Welcome to Mark Neely, Kyle Ott, and Pam Homan and welcome back to the others. Eric Peacock's role on the board has changed due to him coming on staff. He will still attend board meetings but will not be a voting member. The BOG’s first meeting for 2026 will be March 9.

UPCOMING DATES

Global Encounters Weekend
February 28 & March 1

Congregational Meeting
March 1

District Youth Retreat
April 24-26​